Ball game



C. M. MAURER Jan. 21, 1964 BALL GAME Filed April 13, 1961 llnited States Patent Patented Jan. 21, 1964;

3,218,673 BALL GAME 'larl Mex Maurer, Nurnherg, Germany, assiguor to Kartonax G.rn.b.H., IJurnberg, Germany Filed Apr. 13, W61, Eler. No. 1%}25795 Gain priority, application Germany Aug. 9, 1960 7 flairns. (Cl. 27385) This invention relates to a game involving the movement of objects and, in particular, is directed to a miniature table soccer game. in particular, the invention is a modification of the means of mounting the player figures as disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 82,997, filed lanuary 6, 1961, for Ball Game, now Patent No. 3,086,778.

ln my aforesaid application, each player figure has a lower flexible portion which is attached to the surface of a gameboard by means of a rub er suction cup or the like. in the improvement of this invention, lower ball striking portion of the player figure is rigid and inflexible and is detachably mounted into any given player position on the surface of the garneboard. it has been found that a very good striking or catapultiug of a ball can be obtained even though the lower portion of the player figure is not flexible as heretofore but instead is rigid.

According to this invention, a depression or cavity in the surface of the gameboard forms a hole which holds snugly a press-fitted resilient plug and the rigid base portion of the playing figure is inserted into this As the plug is firmly held by the wall of th cavity and s firmly ed on the bottom of the cavity, the ball str mg charac ristic of the lower portion of the player figure is changed as compared to the bending of the figure itself inasmuch as the distortion of the holding element produced by the moving of the player figure from the vertical now occurs within the space confined by the cavity. This enables the use of a wide variety of the flexible materials for forming the plu For example, relatively soft and flexible rubber can be used and the size of the figure holding means reduced. This results in the savings of the cost of the material and in the manufacture of the game. Another advantage exists in this construction in that the thickness of the garneboard and playing field can be substantially lessened because the distortion and catapulting momentum is absorbed by the still vertical wall of the cavity. l leretofore, the lower ball stril'ing portion of each figure had to be fastened in a special hole in the garneboard in order to avoid the cracking of the gameboard.

The resilient plug is formed as a body of rotation, but polygonal cross-sectional shape may be used. Preferably, a comically shaped plug in the form of a frustum of a cone having an acute central angle is used with the base of the cone seated in tie hole in the gameboard. By so doing, the plug is urged toward the bottom or" the cavity so that it is positively held from jumping out of the cavity, especially :when the player figure is vigorously bent from the vertical.

The means by which the objects of the invention are obtained are described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FEGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view through the resilient plug;

FlGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view through a portion of the gameboard showing the plug receiving cavity therein; and

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view through a gameboard showing the plug and player figure mounted in the cavity.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the resilient plug 1 is composed of soft resilient rubber and has the shape of a fins-tum of a cone with a beveled edge In between the side wall and the base of the plug. The vertical hole 2- extcnds from the upper surface of the plug substantially through the plug at the center thereof.

The gameboard iis provided with a player position hole or cavity 6 having the same diameter as the diameter f the upper surface of plug 1 and having a vertical side wall a bottom it? joined by a beveled wall 12.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the plug 1 is inserted into the cavity 6 in a pressfit. Gameboard 4 is made of a slightly flexible material so that the wall 8 tightly grips the side of plug 1 and holds the plug in the manner of a dove-tail jo' The player figure has its foot portion formed as a ball striking or catapulting member 16 to which is fastened a peg The player figure ball striking portion no peg are composed of a rigid non-flexible material.

in operation, the peg 13 is inserted itno the hole 2 of the plug When the player fig re 14 is bent from the vertical position, the material of plug 1 is distorted but held confined in the cavity 6. When the player figure lid is released, it springs back to the vertical, and the plug 1 is firmly held in the cavity 6 by reason of the cone shape of the plug.

Having now described the means by which the objects of the invention are obtained,

1 claim:

1. In a ganieboard having stationary player figures placed at predetermined positions on a play field, and each figure being movable in at least its lower portion for striking a ball, the improvement in that a cavity is into the garneboard at each player position, a resilient plug tightly pres -fitted into said cavity, and a rigid non-elastic connection between the player figure and said plug for permitting tilting of the player figure by distorting the material of said plug.

2. In a gameboard as in claim 1, said plug having its upper surface substantially flush with the upper edge of said cavity.

3. in a garncboard as in claim 2, said rigid non-elastic connection comprising a peg joined to the lower portion of said figure and inserted into said plug.

4. In a gameboar-d as in claim 3, said plug having a bore hole, said peg being removably inserted into said hole.

5. in a gameboard as in claim 4, said plug having the shape of a body of rotation.

6. in a gameboard as in claim 5, said plug comprising a f ustum of a cone.

7. in a gameboard as in claim 3, said plug having a polygonal cross-section shape.

References Qited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 

1. IN A GAMEBOARD HAVING STATIONARY PLAYER FIGURES PLACED AT PREDETERMINED POSITIONS ON A PLAY FIELD, AND EACH FIGURE BEING MOVABLE IN AT LEAST ITS LOWER PORTION FOR STRIKING A BALL, THE IMPROVEMENT IN THAT A CAVITY IS SUNK INTO THE GAMEBOARD AT EACH PLAYER POSITION, A RESILIENT PLUG TIGHTLY PRESS-FITTED INTO SAID CAVITY, AND A RIGID NON-ELASTIC CONNECTION BETWEEN THE PLAYER FIGURE AND SAID PLUG FOR PERMITTING TILTING OF THE PLAYER FIGURE BY DISTORTING THE MATERIAL OF SAID PLUG. 